


From Now On

by JainaDurron7



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-14
Updated: 2020-12-14
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:20:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,081
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28073085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JainaDurron7/pseuds/JainaDurron7
Summary: Sally is happy. She really is. But all she can think about ... is when it happened to her.
Relationships: Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson
Comments: 3
Kudos: 64





	From Now On

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is thanks to a brilliant idea my dear friend @darkmagyk had, and I loved it so much I had to write it! I hope I did it justice.

_ “From now on, our troubles will be out of sight.” _

~ “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”, Frank Sinatra

* * *

Life is short— especially for demigods. Percy and Annabeth knew this all too well. They figured it’s by sheer dumb luck that they’d made it as far as they have, still blessed to have the other to face life with. But they’d been through the Underworld and Tartarus and back, and they’d had enough of the taste of death. They wanted to live together, have all the experiences they’d fought so hard to survive to have. Besides, Percy figured he’d been running on borrowed time most of his life anyway.

It wasn’t just because life was short that they got married at nineteen, though. They were young and they were all too aware of that fact, but they had also grown so much together. They knew each other, and they knew themselves. When they were ready, they knew that their futures were in each other, and they hadn’t seen much point in waiting when they really did  _ know. _

So, they got married. They had been content to take their new life officially together one step at a time, but they also had no complaints when things started to go a little faster.

They were a passionate and loving couple, the thrill of being married still fresh and not fading anytime soon. Half a year they’d been Mr. and Mrs. Jackson when Annabeth missed her period. And they were thrilled.

A part of the delirium Annabeth had felt when she’d told Percy still lived within her. The exhilaration that had lifted her spirits beyond any other moment in her life when Percy’s face had broken out in an all-consuming grin and he’d picked her up by the waist and spun them in a circle … Annabeth would never forget that moment as long as she lived.

They had known for over a month now, euphoric and anxious in their anticipation. They had told Poseidon and Athena if only because it was rather difficult to keep secrets from godly parents. And, when going through any important event in life, it was important to make sure you were on the gods’ good sides. Percy’s mom and stepdad and Annabeth’s dad and stepmother were next on their list. But Frederick Chase had already been planning a trip with his wife and sons to visit Annabeth and Percy in New York for Christmas, so they’d decided to wait until their whole family would be together under one roof.

They were all meeting tonight for dinner at the Blofis home, and that is when the Jacksons planned to share their news.

Sitting in a cab on their way up to Manhattan, Annabeth started out her window at the passing traffic, anxious fingers playing with the wedding band on her left hand.

“Hey, Wise Girl.” Annabeth broke out of her reverie, turning her head to see her husband smiling cautiously at her. “Are you feeling alright?”

She nodded quickly. “I’m fine, Percy.”

“I know Baby Seaweed Brain has their schedule,” he tried to laugh. “You know we can reschedule this if you aren’t feeling well.”

“Thanks, Seaweed Brain, but I feel fine right now. We’re not missing this. I don’t think I can wait any longer to tell our family.”

Percy smiled, his eyes shining with that new joy the two of them had so recently discovered. “Yeah. My mom cried when I told her I wanted to propose. She’ll be ecstatic when she hears she’s going to be a grandma.”

Annabeth grinned. She could imagine that. Annabeth had always adored Percy’s mom, treasured the fact that she’d found a mother of her own in her. Sally was always there to support the two of them, individually and as a couple. Sally Blofis was also the most caring and loving person Annabeth had ever met; she had the biggest heart and a tendency to adopt anyone her son cared about as one of her own. Annabeth had absolutely no doubt that she would make a wonderful grandmother.

As for her own father … it wasn’t that Annabeth feared he would take the news badly, but she couldn’t imagine sharing the same moment of mutual joy and excitement with Frederick as she could Sally. Her relationship with her father had certainly improved over the last few years since she’d tried living with her family again when she was twelve. That didn’t mean, however, that their relationship as of now was as natural as a relationship between father and daughter ought to be. Often, it was quite the opposite. It was awkward and clumsy, both of them struggling to say the right thing, too afraid to say one wrong word, and send the other running.

Annabeth only prayed that maybe this could push things even just one step closer to progress.

Although, Annabeth feared it was more likely to only add to the complicated distance between them. Perhaps, it would only serve to remind both of them how much of Annabeth’s life Frederick had missed.

An old memory flashed in the back of Annabeth’s mind, and she remembered sailing through the Sea of Monsters with Percy and approaching the Sirens’ Island. She remembered seeing her mother and father— together— and Luke sharing a picnic with her in Central Park. Her heart squeezed at the thought that she might be able to get even just a part of that old, wonderful dream. If she went back to the Sirens’ Island now, she knew she would see something very different, but at least one thing had never changed: she wanted to share a good relationship with her father, and she said a little prayer to her mother at that moment, that maybe this could help things along.

The cab pulled over on the side of the street in front of the apartment building where his family lived. The Chase family car was already parked ahead of them, and Annabeth panicked for a moment. “Of course, he’s early. I should have known.”

“Hey, Wise Girl,” Percy chuckled silently at her. “Breathe. The time that we show up is not going to put us in any more control of how our family reacts.”

More for Percy’s amusement then her genuine fear, she shot back, “You don’t know! We could walk in late and my dad’s first question could be, ‘Hey, Annabeth! You’re late! Are you feeling alright?’”

Percy snorted. “You know what, you’re probably right. Maybe, we should have waited even longer so the smell of dinner could cover that of your hormones; my mom does have a keen sense of smell.”

“In all seriousness, I will not be surprised if your mom already suspects something. She has an eerie way of sensing these sorts of things.”

Percy couldn’t argue with that. They’d known they couldn’t wait long to tell Sally, and they couldn’t put themselves into a situation where she might be given hints before they were ready to tell her.

“Come on, Wise Girl.” Percy held out his arm to her. “They’re probably waiting for us.”

They buzzed the Blofis apartment and Sally greeted them at the door with her customary warm smile and big hugs. “Annie!” a small, two-year-old Estelle screeched, racing for the door to throw herself at Annabeth’s legs. She laughed, reaching down to wrap the young girl in an enthusiastic hug. She saw Percy’s family all the time, they visited often, but Estelle never got any less excited to see her, and Annabeth never tired of her excitement and bear-hugs. “Oh! Hey, Stelly!”

As they stepped inside, Paul took their coats and Sally wrangled the toddler to give them some space. Standing in the living room was Annabeth’s family, Frederick Chase, his wife Helen, and Annabeth’s half brothers Bobby and Matthew. Her father beamed at her, face alight when he saw her. “Annabeth.” He opened his arms to her and she smiled back, easily falling into his embrace. “Hey, Dad. I’ve missed you.”

He squeezed her in his arms, and Annabeth thought she could feel his gratefulness in his embrace. “I’ve missed you, too.” She stepped back and gave her brothers both brief hugs, and then her stepmother, though it still felt strained. “How was the trip up here?” Percy asked after he’d bumped fists with Annabeth’s brothers, then hugged Helen, and nodded to Mr. Chase.

“I don’t know about this road-tripping you two seem to enjoy. Maybe, I’d enjoy it better if all the roads weren’t covered in snow and the holiday traffic wasn’t so terrible.”

“Percy and I have never flown anywhere,” Annabeth laughed. “It isn’t so bad. Though, it is nicer in the summer.”

Percy was setting down the Christmas gifts they’d brought with them under the Blofis family tree. He turned to correct Annabeth, “Actually, we flew when we were on the Argo II. But that is an experience I can definitely survive without reliving.”

“Dad almost drove into a ditch!” Bobby laughed. “You should have been there! Mom screamed and she went pale as a ghost.”

“Okay, but we did not end up in the ditch, and we are all alive and just fine. Aren’t we, boys?”

Mrs. Chase rolled her eyes. “And that is why  _ I _ will be driving the whole way back. It’s like he’s lived in California all his life. Not just a few years.”

“Hey! Now, we’ve been in San Francisco longer than that.”

Sally laughed. “Well, New York winters are a little different. But Paul and I just came back from visiting his family in the Dakota area. And  _ that _ is like stepping through a wardrobe into Narnia.”

“Except it’s not as pretty,” Paul added.

“Well, sit down!” Sally shepherded them toward the couches. “Dinner is just about ready.”

They kept up a casual conversation while they waited for dinner, Frederick asking Percy about how work was going and Annabeth’s brothers asking her if she’d gone on any crazy quests recently. As Sally served up dinner, Paul broke out a bottle of wine for the adults. Annabeth stiffened. She could see the moment unfolding. It was such a typical way of revealing the news she and Percy had to share, and she internally groaned, bracing herself, but Paul unironically saved the moment just as he reached to pass her and Percy the bottle. “Oh, wait. I forget you two aren’t quite old enough.”

Sally rolled their eyes. “Oh, for goodness’ sake, Paul. They’re young, but they aren’t going anywhere tonight.”

Percy raised a brow, an amused grin on his face. “ _ That’s why _ you’re okay with us drinking? Not because you trust us? No! Because you can keep an eye on us.”

“Oh, gods, Percy! I didn’t mean it like that. Grow up!” Everyone laughed. But before Annabeth could confront the bottle or even try to pawn off some lame excuse, Mrs. Chase took the bottle to fill her and her husband’s glasses, and Matthew asked his sister, “Do you and Percy visit your god parents for Christmas?”

Annabeth chuckled. “No, we haven’t before. Although, the gods are usually having their own parties around the Christian and Jewish holidays just because they can. But, no, we don’t really visit them for the holidays. Or, they don’t really visit us. It’s not special in the same way it is for us when we all get together for dinner and stuff.”

Sally peered over her glass. “Maybe you should.” She glanced at her son. “I’m sure your dad would appreciate it if you surprised him with a visit once.”

Percy grinned. “Aw, come on, Mom. You know that the surprise, pop-in visits are more of Dad’s thing.” Humor sparkled in his eyes, and Sally rolled her eyes back. “But Athena …” Annabeth shoved him with her elbow. “She seems like she appreciates a good surprise.”

Mr. Chase choked on his ham.

* * *

Everyone at the table was once again spared when a knock sounded at the door. Percy and Sally got up at the same time. “Sit down, Mom. I’ll get it.”

Percy went to answer the door, and he couldn’t say he was surprised when he saw who was there. He stepped back to peek his head in view of everyone in the living room and caught Sally’s eye. “Mom, guess who it is.”

Sally Blofis gave a dramatic sigh, muttering, “Oh, gods,” and she knocked back the rest of her glass of wine.

“Hey, Dad!” Percy smiled happily at his father, opening the door to him. “What are you doing here?” Even after eight years of knowing his father, he still got like a kid in a candy store whenever Poseidon chose to visit.

Today, his father wore a dark winter jacket over sturdy overalls with a winter hat dedicated to the Miami Dolphins. Percy made a mental note to discuss his sports supporting habits later with his father. But he looked like he’d just come back from ice fishing.

He leaned in to whisper, “Have you told your mom yet?”

Percy smiled. “Not yet, but we’re going to tell everyone tonight. Is that why you’re here?”

Poseidon shrugged. “I want to see her face when you guys tell her. Can you blame me?” Then, raising his voice to a normal level, he said, “What? I can’t visit my son on the holidays?”

His father’s sea-green gaze then shifted past Percy to where his mother was now standing. “Hi, Sally,” he said softly.

“Hello, Poseidon.”

He glanced down the hallway to where half a dozen others sat staring back at the god in utter shock. Poseidon smiled nervously. “I didn’t wish to interrupt the, uh, family meal. I just …” He fished a hand into one of his deep pockets in his coat for a solid minute before scowling in disapproval. Then, his face brightened as he seemed to recall something, and he snapped his fingers so that his fishing gear was replaced with a navy suit and polished shoes. He reached into his jacket and brought out several small packages. “I brought gifts.”

“Um, do you want to come inside?” Sally offered. “We’re just finishing dinner, but there’s plenty left if you want to join us.”

He nodded. “Thank you. Are you sure I’m not intruding?”

Sally quirked a brow at him. “We’ll have a conversation about appropriate times to visit later.”

“Let me guess. Now would be an inappropriate time?”

She pinched her thumb and index finger, squinting at Poseidon. “Just a little.”

Percy ushered his father into the living room, pulled over an extra seat, and made a plate for Poseidon. “Dad, this is Annabeth’s family. Dr. Chase, Mrs. Chase, and her brothers.”

“Ah, yes. A pleasure to meet you. Unfortunately, I just brought gifts for my son and daughter-in-law and Sally and Paul.”

From behind her mop of wild curls, Estelle’s eyes flew up to meet the sea god’s. “Gifs?”

Poseidon chuckled, pulling out another small package wrapped in blue paper and frilly ribbons from his coat. “Well, and for Miss Estelle.” He put the gift in her hands, and Estelle brought it straight to her mouth.

He handed his two other packages to Sally and Percy, the latter who immediately went to pick at the tape. “Ah, son.” Poseidon covered his son’s hands with his own. “You and Annabeth might want to save that for later.” He winked. “But please, carry on. I don’t wish to intrude.”

Annabeth smirked, apparently amused. “So, this isn’t an obligatory parental visit?”

“Actually, I did invite Athena to come with me, but she isn’t such a fan of … what did she call it? ‘Uncomfortable mortal family get-togethers’.”

Following this explanation, Poseidon slung an arm across the back of the couch and turned to Paul, grinning.

Percy was quick to break in and save Frederick, Helen, Sally, and Paul. “Well, I’m really glad we could all get together for the holidays. Our first together as one family.” Percy’s and Annabeth’s parents raised their glasses, calling cheers. “We should do this every year. Maybe, next year will be even more special.”

Percy shared a look with Annabeth as she cuddled up to his side. He pulled her closer, wrapping his arm over her shoulders. And when he looked at her, they shared a knowing smile, and a multitude of feelings from joy to nervousness to just a peek at the unconditional love they already felt for their child. Her cheeks flooded with color as she opened her mouth to take the lead, and Percy had to restrain himself from kissing her. Gods, he loved her so much.

“Actually,” Annabeth beamed. “Since all of you are here, there’s something that Percy and I wanted to tell you guys.”

Percy lowered his arm from her shoulders to her waist, fingers brushing her stomach before she could even get the words out. She laughed, catching his hand in hers, laughter and joy dancing in her gray eyes. She looked away to meet the gazes of their family, but Percy’s eyes were glued to her.

“Just recently, Percy and I found out some big news. We’re pregnant.”

Immediately, the room erupted in chaos, a chorus of Frederick, Mrs. Chase and Paul all shouting, “What?!” while Annabeth’s brothers’ jaws dropped and hung there.

“You’re kidding!”

“For real?”

“Oh, Annabeth! Percy!”

Mr. Chase looked shocked. And not in the way like he was blissfully choosing to accept that his daughter was a grown woman, but merely shocked by the words coming out of Annabeth’s mouth. “Wait. I— I’m going to be a grandfather?”

Annabeth laughed, reaching to take her father’s hands. “Yes. You’re going to be a grandpa. What do you think about that? Grandpa Chase.”

“I’m going to have a grandchild?”

Laughing even more, Annabeth nodded. “Yes, Dad. You’re going to be a grandpa.”

While still struggling with the concept, Percy was relieved to see that Mr. Chase seemed rather excited to have a grandbaby. But he hadn’t yet been tackled by his mom which certainly surprised him. He and Annabeth both turned to face Paul and Sally, the latter’s face nearly emotionless. Her mouth hung open, but her jaw moved like she was looking for words. Her brows knitted together, perplexed, and Percy was taken back. “Wait,” she finally blinked, holding Percy’s and Annabeth’s gazes. “You’re pregnant?”

Percy nodded, smiling. “Yeah. Mom, you’re going to be a grandma!”

She blinked again. Her face finally changed, but she didn’t break into the tearful grin Percy had been anticipating. Something less celebratory simmered in her gaze instead. “You got her pregnant?”

Percy quickly lost his smile. “Yeah?”

At that moment, something in Sally seemed to sag, her natural, everpresent joy disintegrating. It wasn’t anger in her eyes, but fear. But her demeanor changed so quickly, her response like venom that Percy could hardly spare a fraction of his attention to properly decipher it.

“Were you trying?”

Percy faltered. “No, but Annabeth and I are really happy—”

“Did you even think about using protection?”

“Mom!”

“Perseus, do you realize how  _ young  _ you are? You aren’t even old enough to go to bars!”

Percy’s gut flared with sudden anger. He would never have imagined these words coming from his mother, and that’s what made it all the easier to fight back. This wasn’t his mother, was it? When had his mom ever been anything but supportive and loving and reassuring? No, he didn’t recognize this woman.

“We are adults,” he asserted, choosing to ignore the fact that Sally had called him ‘Perseus’. “And we aren’t stupid.” Annabeth settled a hand on his chest, but, already, Percy was too caught up to read her reaction.

“You don’t know anything about being a parent, about having a child. You have no idea what it’s like! You’re too young to be ready, to have any idea what you’re getting yourselves into.”

In any other situation, from anyone else, Percy would have been tempted to say something like, “Hey, this is Annabeth you’re talking about,” like a joke. Because Annabeth Jackson was full of plans and contingencies. And worrying. Did his mom really think they hadn’t thought about any of this?

“You’re still in school, you don’t have careers—”

Maybe, this wasn’t a good time to tell his mom he and Annabeth were really hoping to get her help.

“Of all our friends and family, I thought you would be the most excited. I thought you would be the most supportive.”

“How can I support you when you’re being so irresponsible?”

“So, because we’re not twenty-one, this is irresponsible?”

“How am I supposed to be proud of you for this?”

“Sally,” Paul was quick to cut in, his tone firm.

“Did you forget you were still a teenager when you had me?”

Immediately, Percy regretted the punch. That wasn’t something Percy had ever wanted to throw back at his mom; he’d always admired her, her strength, resilience. He’d always been so amazed at how she’d always had the worst odds stacked against her and faced everything head-on, always overcome.

But his words hit their mark, and pain simmered in Sally’s gaze.

Percy swallowed.

She stood there silently for barely longer than a second before her eyes glistened with unshed tears, and she hurried past Percy and Annabeth to flee the room.

A tense and awkward silence filled the room for a long moment— though Percy had no idea how long that moment was— before Paul stepped forward, fumbling to gracefully rescue the moment. “I should just …”

But Poseidon caught his eye. “Hey, do you mind if I take this one? Just this once?”

Perhaps it was just because Paul was so shocked that he let Poseidon, froze where he was standing and watched the sea god go.

Percy met his father’s gaze, and Poseidon squeezed his shoulder then Annabeth’s as he passed.

Percy, for one, had no better ideas to offer.

* * *

Poseidon knocked before he eased open the door to Sally and Paul’s bedroom. He hesitated in the doorway, but stepped in cautiously. Sally was sitting on the edge of the mattress, turned with her back to him, but Poseidon could hear her soft sniffles. He sighed to himself.

“Hey.” He tapped the door frame with a fist. “Mind if I join you?”

She didn’t respond.

He scanned the room for a seat— he at least had the decency not to join her on the bed she shared with her husband— and settled to pull over a chair that was sitting in the corner. He gave Sally a moment, left her to her space in hopes she would collect herself. But when he shifted in his seat and opened his mouth to speak, Sally looked up with puffy red eyes, her gaze frantic. “They’re too young! They’re kids! They deserve a break— not another thing thrown at them!”

Poseidon shrugged. “Well, they don’t seem too upset.”

Sally looked away.

“You know, I have to be honest. I also thought you would be excited for them. Excited to be a grandmother, at the very least. You are nothing, Sally, if not nurturing and loving. I anticipated you would be thrilled to find out you will have a grandchild to love and spoil.”

He caught her jaw clench, and Poseidon withheld a wince. “Well, I’m pretty sure I know what this is about. You want to tell me?”

She whirled on him, launching to her feet to fix a fiery glare on Poseidon. “You don’t understand because you have no concept of time or age! You don’t understand everything that’s involved in timing and what it means to be prepared! To be a parent! You have no idea what it means for them—” She pointed a vicious finger out the door. “That they’re pregnant. They’re too young! They’re not ready!  _ They _ don’t know what they’re getting themselves into!”

He nodded once, slowly, allowing her the moment to scream whatever it was she thought she was feeling. “Okay,” he said after a minute of Sally just glaring at him. “Now, is that really what you think of your own son and daughter-on-law, or are you ready to tell me the truth?”

Her glare turned to steel. “What are you talking about?”

He leaned forward in his seat, remaining gentle and patient. “Sally, I know exactly what you’re thinking. And this isn’t like when you had Percy.”

“What does that matter? I’m talking about how unprepared he is. How young he is—”

“He is young; they both are. But I think that reminds you of when you were pregnant with Percy. You were younger than him.”

She gave Poseidon a humorless laugh, some of the red finally draining from her face. “This isn’t about me.”

“No, it’s not. But it reminds you of yourself. Sally, almost as soon as you told me you were pregnant with Percy, I left you. You were alone. Completely alone, no family, no friends, no one capable. You didn’t have the resources to have a baby. You had to figure out everything on your own, figure out how to support yourself and Percy. I left you by yourself with a baby. I think that this reminds you of that, when I did that to you. But this isn’t like that.”

By this point, Sally had gone still. Steady tears still fell down her cheeks, but from the empty, tired look in her dark eyes, Poseidon knew he’d hit the mark on the nose. Voice weak and useless, she merely repeated, “They’re young …”

He nodded. “You know this isn’t going to be like that. I left you. Alone. Percy and Annabeth aren’t alone. Annabeth isn’t alone. She has Percy. Percy has her. They’re going to have a family together. You know your son. You know he’s going to be by her side through everything. He’s not leaving her.

“They have a home, Sally. They have money to support themselves and a baby, Annabeth has a secured career, and Percy knows where he’s going. They have everything they need. But they aren’t alone, Sally. They have family— so much family! They have Annabeth’s family to help them out whenever they need it. They have a ton of friends from camp who will adore their baby. They have so many friends, Sally. But best of all, they have you. They’ve always had you, and you’ve always been there to support them. They know that they will always have you to support them and cheer them on. They have always come to you because they know that you will always be there. And you wouldn’t leave them now especially because you know what it’s like to do this alone.”

Sally closed her eyes and a shuddering breath escaped her trembling lips. “I don’t want them to be alone like I was.”

“They won’t be.”

When her eyes reopened, she had rebuilt her composure, but Poseidon could still see the fear lingering behind her eyes. Pain. He had left her and summoned that pain there. “This won’t be like then,” he repeated, promised her. “This isn’t like what you went through at all.”

She wiped her own tears, gathered herself, but her fractured resolve remained. Sally blinked and met his gaze clearly. She grimaced. “I yelled at them.”

Poseidon almost laughed. “A little.”

Her face dissolved into a look of pure horror. “I yelled at them in front of Annabeth’s family.”

“Yep.”

“Oh, gods!”

Just then, someone knocked and Paul came in. Cautiously, he looked between Sally who quickly wiping at her face and Poseidon. He just stood there for a moment, clearly still lost from Sally’s outburst. He looked between them until Poseidon stood. “I should be on my way.” He took Sally’s hand, squeezed it. He didn’t say anything more because he’d already said it all. But when Sally met his gaze, he thought she got it, and she offered a fragile smile back. He nodded to Sally’s husband on his way out. “It was nice seeing you, Paul.”

* * *

“We’ve never fought like that before.” Percy shook his head as if that would clear things out and help him make sense of the last ten minutes. So far, it hadn’t, but he had never been one for giving up. The look of utter fear and panic on his mother’s face refused to leave his mind; it was imprinted at the front of his consciousness, and he hated having to stare at it, to see his mom look at him like that. “I don’t think we’ve ever actually had a real fight.”

“Perce, she’s probably just surprised.” Annabeth sat beside him on Sally and Paul’s couch, her warm hands folded around his, squeezing gently.

“I just wouldn’t ever have imagined her freaking out like this. I  _ wanted  _ her to be happy.”

“Percy, no matter what she’s thinking right now, I’m sure she will be. We’ve had a month to come to grips with this. Just give her the benefit of the doubt.”

He wanted to. He was. But seeing the anxiety encompassing his mother’s demeanor, that harsh tone, the fearful words— he’d never seen his mother like that before. It scared him.

When he tore his drifting gaze up from the floor, his mother stood at the end of the hall, her face blotchy and wet with tears. She took a shuddering breath, and she looked like she was ready to spring into another set of tears any second. He didn’t like seeing her like this either.

But following the last moment they’d shared, Percy felt himself tense, squeezing Annabeth’s hand, prepared to defend the two— the three of them. His family.

Before Percy could even ask, however, her lip quivered and she … “Oh, gods, I’m so sorry!”

“Mom …”

“I’m so sorry, Percy. Everything I said, I promise, I didn’t mean it like that! I didn’t— that’s not how I feel. I got scared.”

Her unleashing was like a tidal wave crashing upon land, and Percy idly wondered if his father had seen the ocean in Sally, too, and been attracted to that.

But this peek of the ocean was more a torrent, and it nearly overwhelmed Percy just to see his mom like this.

“I am proud of you. I’m  _ always  _ proud of you. You’re not— you aren’t a child, and I  _ know _ that! You’re all grown up and—“

“Mom.”

She covered her face, less humiliated, she seemed, than steeped in guilt. After a moment, Sally seemed to force herself to look at him and her daughter-in-law. Annabeth cautiously rose from the couch, and Percy caught the smallest movement of her hand flinching at her side like she was fighting the urge to lay it over her stomach. He squeezed her hand again.

From across the room, Sally swallowed. “As soon as you said it— yes, my head immediately went to thinking about how  _ young  _ you both are! But that doesn’t bother me! Not really. I know you’re both mature beyond your years and you’re both capable of anything, but the worst part was that it reminded me of … it reminded me of me. It reminded me of when I was just younger than you two and I was pregnant and I was by myself and I was terrified. Percy, I was terrified when I found out I was pregnant with you. For so many reasons. It was so hard. And when you said that Annabeth is pregnant— it was all I could think about. And I don’t want that for you two! I don’t want you two to relive the same experience I had.”

Percy’s gaze softened, and he lost his words for a moment as his mother opened her mouth and let flood all of her anxieties. She’d never talked like this before. She had always told him that she’d never been happier than when she found out she was pregnant with him. She always said that her pregnancy had given her hope like nothing else in her life. She’d called it a turning point in her life, told him how much she had loved him when he had just been a clump of cells in her womb.

She had never told him any of this before. He wasn’t sure what he had expected, but he had always seen and thought of his mother as this powerful and strong figure. She didn’t get afraid like this. She didn’t doubt herself like this. She was always sure and capable.

She had never expressed fear like this.

To Percy, it was comforting.

He blinked. “We aren’t alone.”

Sally wrinkled her nose. “I know. I  _ know _ that, but … I don’t know why I thought that. But it was all I could think. I don’t want it to be so hard for you. I don’t want it to be so overwhelming.”

Percy felt Annabeth come up to his side, slip her hand in his. Her other hand covered her abdomen. “We aren’t alone,” she assured Sally. “We have no idea what we’re doing, but we’re ready to face it.” Percy caught her gaze and she smiled up at him.

Sally took a step forward, her hands on her cheeks. “You’re pregnant?”

Percy grinned and he imagined Annabeth was too. He nodded, and Sally shed her anxiety like a heavy overcoat. “Oh, my gods, I’m going to be a grandma!”

Now, he and Annabeth laughed, and they quickly pulled Sally into a hug. “Grandma Sally, how do you like that?”

She just cried harder. Percy laughed, wrapping her up tightly beside Annabeth. “We aren’t alone, Mom.” He kissed her atop her brown-gray curls. “Annabeth isn’t going to be alone. I’m going to be obnoxiously close to her for the next eight months; she’ll be begging me to leave.”

Sally chuckled and Annabeth shook her head.

“And Annabeth’s dad is really excited. I think he wants to move closer to us. And we have plenty of friends who don’t have kids and, therefore, have no idea how exhausting it is to have kids.”

“You don’t know how exhausting it is to have kids.”

“Shh, Mom. That’s besides the point. But most importantly, we have you. I mean, unless you move to, like, Californian to avoid us, we’re going to be calling you every day for help.”

Sally laughed. “You know, that’s exactly what your father said.”

Percy shrugged. “Yeah, he’s actually pretty smart sometimes. … Mom?”

“Yeah, Percy?”

“I’m actually kind of serious. Annabeth and I are really going to need your help.”

Sally smiled, sniffling and wiping her tears as she stepped out of her son’s embrace. “I’ll be here. Whenever you need me. If you need a night of sleep, I’ll be here. If you need a diaper run or you can’t get the baby to stop crying or … anything, Percy. Literally anything, Percy. I’ll be here. I promise. I will  _ always _ be here if you need help.” She stopped, looked to Annabeth. “Especially for you. Anything, Annabeth.”

Percy grinned, pulling his mom back into his arms. “I kind of figured you would.”

“Hm.”

“You’re the best mom ever. I already know you’ll make the best grandma.”

Annabeth raised a brow, crossing her arms as she stood back. “If you aren’t careful, Percy Jackson, you’re going to piss off me  _ and  _ my mom.” But she was smiling so Percy wasn’t too worried. For now.

Sally gripped him tighter and took him into her embrace, and Percy accepted willingly. “Is this my Christmas gift? Because this is more than enough.”

“Well, we did buy you a cheesy sweater that says ‘I Can’t Wait To Meet You, Grandma’.”

“I’ll take the sweater too.”

“And a mug that says ‘Promoted to Grandma, August 2013’.”

“You’re due in August?!”

Percy and Annabeth both laughed

This. This was what Percy had been expecting, what he’d known to expect from his mom. Ever since Annabeth had first told him the news, he’d spent more hours up at night, staring at the ceiling and wondering what in Hades they were getting themselves into. What was he going to do? How was he going to support Annabeth, be enough for her and their baby?

But his mom— she was so full of joy, full of nothing but faith in her son and daughter, nothing but excitement.

And he knew it was all going to be okay.

Gods, would they need her and all the help she had to give them! But it would be alright. Maybe, just because they had her. After all, he and Annabeth would be learning from the best.


End file.
